>Magister Scientiae - MSc / A comparative study of electrolysers using different anodic materials for the electrolysis of brine (sodium chloride) for the production of sodium hypochlorite as a source of A comparative study of electrolysers using different anodic materials for the electrolysis of brine (sodium chloride) for the production of sodium hypochlorite as a source of available chlorine for disinfection of rural water supplies has been undertaken. The electrolyser design used was tubular in form, having two chambers i.e. anode inside and cathode outside, separated by a tubular inorganic ceramic membrane. The anode was made of titanium rod coated with a thin layer of platinum and a further coat of metal oxide. The cathode was made of stainless steel wire. available chlorine for disinfection of rural water supplies has been undertaken. The electrolyser design used was tubular in form, having two chambers i.e. anode inside and cathode outside, separated by a tubular inorganic ceramic membrane. The anode was made of titanium rod coated with a thin layer of platinum and a further coat of metal oxide. The cathode was made of stainless steel wire. An assessment of these electrolysers was undertaken by studying the effects of some variable parameters i.e. current, voltage and sodium chloride concentration. The flow rate was kept unchanged at 50ml/h anolyte and 140ml/h catholyte since it was found to be optimum flow rate for chlorine generation. Figures of merit of the electrolysers were calculated on the basis of three sets of measurements. Analytical methods used for the determination of sodium hypochlorite concentration were iodometric and N, N-Diethyl-p- Phenylenediamine (DPD) titration methods. The DPD titration method was used to determine the chlorine concentration of less than 1mg/L, while the iodometric titration method was used to determine chlorine concentration of ImgIL and above. Sodium chlorate present in the hypochlorite solution was also determined using a spectrophotometric method. The cobalt oxide electrolyser has been shown to be superior as compared to the ruthenium dioxide and manganese dioxide electrolysers in terms of hypochlorite generation. Sodium chlorate was present but at concentration levels not hazardous for use in dosing water for drinking purposes. Analysis of hydroxyl radicals was undertaken since there were claims that these are produced during brine electrolysis. Hydroxyl radical analysis was not successful, since sodium hypochlorite and hypochlorous acid interfere using the analytical method described in this study.

The challenge of satisfying the demand for basic services in the current dispensation has intensified. It is anticipated that once this initial challenge has been overcome, the tide will turn and secondary services such as transfer of ownership of forestry plantations will become the new challenge. The quest for efficient and effective service delivery is paramount, regardless of whether services delivered are basic or not. This research investigation puts performance management (which focuses on individual and organisational performance), as a necessity for service delivery. The focus was on service delivery within the Chief Directorate: Forestry in the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The findings demonstrated that the presence of performance management and other supporting systems does not guarantee automatic improvement in service delivery. The distinction is how effective an organisation can apply performance management in conjunction with a complete set of functional policies, systems and instruments to improve its impact on service delivery. / Public Administation / M.Tech. (Public Management)

Thesis (MPhil)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) maintains that its people-centred Participatory Forest Management (PFM) program contributes to rural poverty eradication through provision of employment, skills training and sharing of benefits of sustainable forest management. It also asserts that local people in the forested parts of South Africa interactively participate in designing systems and institutions that shape forest resources use and management and hence influence their livelihood strategies. Furthermore, the department asserts that the PFM program has taken off exceptionally well in the Southern Cape Forests than anywhere else in South Africa. This means that local people that inhabit the margins of the Southern Cape Forests benefit from the management of these forests. Consequently, this study set out to investigate the socio-economic contribution of the PFM intervention to the two forest-dwelling communities of Diepwalle and Covie within the Southern Cape Forests. The investigation employed an outcome based evaluation approach and was summative in nature. Data were gathered by conducting a 100% survey of the two communities and also through a workshop. Informal interactions and discussions as well as visual observations were used to verify data as the purpose of the study was to present an unbiased, multi-voiced account of the socio-economic contributions of the PFM intervention to the Diepwalle and Covie communities. The results of this research show that the outcomes of the PFM intervention have not been met in the two communities. It was found that the vast majority of the households in the two communities were not aware at the time of this study of the PFM program. There were at the time of the study no PFM-based incentives for local communities to actively participate in the sustainable use and management of the indigenous forests in the vicinity of Diepwalle and Covie. Almost all the householders in the two communities stressed that they do not benefit from the management of the indigenous forests. The existing management approach followed in the Southern Cape Forests does not appear to have more socio-economic and environmental gains than the conventional approach which excludes local people from the planning, designing, implementation and evaluation of institutions and systems which affect their physical environment. The study recommends, among others, regular evaluation of the PFM program to fast track its successful implementation and to ensure that the National Forests Act of 1998 that establishes PFM is fully implemented to realize the socio-economic benefits of forest conservation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Volgens die Departement Waterwese en Bosbou (DWB) dra die Mensgesentreerde Deelnemende Bosbestuursprogram (Participatory Forest Management of PFM) by tot die uitwissing van armoede op die platteland deur werkverskaffing, vaardigheidsopleiding en die deel in voordele van volhoubare bosbestuur. Die DWB beweer dat inwoners van die woudgebiede van Suid-Afrika deelneem aan die ontwerp van stelsels en instellings wat die gebruik en bestuur van woudhulpbronne vorm en daarom hulle broodwinningstrategieë beïnvloed. Verder voer die DWB aan dat die PFM-program aansienlik beter in die Suid-Kaapse Woude weggespring het as op enige ander plek in Suid-Afrika. Dit beteken dat plaaslike mense wat in buitewyke van die Suid-Kaapse Woude woon, voordeel trek uit die bestuur van die woude. Hierdie studie is onderneem om die sosio-ekonomiese bydrae van die PFM-intervensie tot twee woudgemeenskappe, Diepwalle en Covie, in die Suid-Kaapse Woude te ondersoek. Die ondersoek het 'n uitkomsgebaseerde evaluasiebenadering gevolg en was summatief van aard. Gegewens is deur 'n 100%-opname van die gemeenskappe en tydens 'n werkswinkel versamel. Informele interaksies en besprekings asook visuele waarnemings is gebruik om gegewens te verifieer, omdat die doel van die studie was om 'n onbevooroordeelde, veelstemmige verslag van die sosio-ekonomiese bydraes van die PFM-intervensie tot bogenoemde gemeenskappe daar te stel. Die navorsingsresultate toon dat die uitkomste van die PFM-intervensie nie in die twee gemeenskappe bereik is nie. Die oorgrote meerderheid huishoudings was ten tye van die studie onbewus van die program en daar was geen PFM-gebaseerde aansporings vir plaaslike gemeenskappe om aktief aan die volhoubare gebruik en bestuur van die inheemse woude in die Diepwalle- en Covie-omgewing deel te neem nie. Bykans al die huishouers het benadruk dat hulle geen voordeel uit die bestuur van die inheemse woude trek nie. Geen getuienis is gevind wat bevestig dat bekwaamhede bevorder is as gevolg van die PFM-program nie. Alle deelnemers ontken vaardigheidsontwikkeling wat deur die PFM geinisieer is. Dit blyk dat die bestaande bestuursbenadering wat in die Suid-Kaapse Woude gevolg word, nie meer sosio-ekonomiese en omgewingsvoordele lewer nie as die konvensionele benadering wat plaaslike mense uitsluit van die beplanning, ontwerp, implementering en evaluasie van instellings en stelsels wat hulle fisiese omgewing beïnvloed. Die studie beveel onder andere gereelde evaluasie van die PFM-program aan om die suksesvolle implementering daarvan te bespoedig en te verseker dat die Wet op Nasionale Woude van 1998 volledig geïmplementeer word sodat die sosio-ekonomiese voordele van woudbewaring kan realiseer.

Thesis (MPA (School of Public Management and Planning))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) has employeds about 18 000 officials in both the water and forestry domains. Employees in the same Forestry and Water sections perform differently. For example, some of these employees in the same sections complain that they have no work to do, while others in the same section complain that they have too much work. It is not clear how performance bonuses are allocated in the same Forestry and Water sections. The situation is affecting staff morale and eventually service delivery provided by DWAF. DWAF has a performance management system that is currently being implemented throughout the whole Department. As indicated, this system is not effective and it is not applied consistently with regard to all staff members in the same sections and also in different sections of the dDepartment. The study seeks to analyse the causes and circumstances why some that other employees have little work to do, while others have too much work to do. In short, it seeks to analyse as to why the current system is ineffective and inconsistently applied. The main methodology that informs this study is document and data analysis and thereafter, follow interviews with DWAF officials from different sections of DWAF. The recommendations based on conclusions and findings of this study are that it is important to align individual and organisational goals, that rewards and corrective measures should be part of the performance management system and that capacity building, training and support interventions are essential to ensure an effective and consistent performance management system.

The challenge of satisfying the demand for basic services in the current dispensation has intensified. It is anticipated that once this initial challenge has been overcome, the tide will turn and secondary services such as transfer of ownership of forestry plantations will become the new challenge. The quest for efficient and effective service delivery is paramount, regardless of whether services delivered are basic or not. This research investigation puts performance management (which focuses on individual and organisational performance), as a necessity for service delivery. The focus was on service delivery within the Chief Directorate: Forestry in the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry. The findings demonstrated that the presence of performance management and other supporting systems does not guarantee automatic improvement in service delivery. The distinction is how effective an organisation can apply performance management in conjunction with a complete set of functional policies, systems and instruments to improve its impact on service delivery. / Public Administation / M.Tech. (Public Management)

M.A. (Public Management and Governance) / “Water will be the scarce resources in the 21st century.” This vision was brought to the South African Government’s attention after the Water Research Commission (WRC) conducted extensive research as illustrated in the WRC’s Annual report for 2007/8. According to the WRC, the research aimed to enlighten decision and policy makers to take precautionary measures that will help guarantee that water resources are “protected, used, developed, conserved, and managed in a sustainable manner”. Hence, the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) has started developing the Water Resource Classification System to mitigate the anticipated challenge envisioned. Among others, the WRC’s findings guided the development of this policy. On the other hand, the South African Constitution, 1996 states that, “people have the right to environment which is not harmful to the citizen”. Other legislation, such as the National Environmental Management Act (1998), the National Water Act, 1998 and the Water Services Act, 1997 echoed the same sentiment. The National Water Act, 1998 served as basis for a National Water Resources Strategy as a framework to guide the entire Water Resource Classification System policy process (Chapter 2: Part 1 of the National Water Act, 1998. Section 195 (e) of the South African Constitution, 1996, highlights that “people’s needs must be responded to, and the public must be encouraged to participate in the policy making”. Thus, the role of stakeholder participation in the DWAF Water Resource Classification System (WRCS) was chosen as a topic for investigation to inform policy makers as well as to identify policy defects. The research project aimed to evaluate the level of stakeholder participation in developing policy, as well as identifying and assessing the nature, influence and levels of their participation. It was established that broad stakeholder participation was a critical success factor during this policy development process. However, the WRCS was finalised based only on the information gathered from a few stakeholders. It should be noted that when water classification was undertaken the environmental issues were considered in such a way that the classification process does not in one way or another compromise the environment in general and is not detrimental to ecosystems in particular. According to the National Water Act, 1998, water is classified in three categories, namely minimally, moderately and heavily. In other countries water is treated as just another natural resource, but in South Africa water is treated as government’s scarce resource. This study investigated the importance of stakeholder participation as a key to policy development in a democratic state and concluded that better participation would have enhanced citizen ownership and shaping the policy concerned.

Masters in Public Administration - MPA / According to the Constitution of Republic of South Africa (Act 108 of 1996) it is the responsibility of local government to provide basic and effective water services to all consumers in its area of jurisdiction. The Water Services Act (Act 108 of 1997) further supports this concept and establishes the institutional framework for service delivery and an enabling environment for development of the sector. In the spirit of co-operative governance the department of Water Affair and Forestry is obliged to provide this support to local government around the issues of water services provision but this support needs to be located within the legislative laid out in local government legislation. The nature of capacity support to Kei District Council is that it requires intensive initial support to ensure that it is able to fulfil its service functions, including those outlined in the Water Services Act. This requirement for intensive initial support is due of the following: (a) Kei District Council was previously not responsible for water services, (b) it require support to set up structures and systems for managing and monitoring water Services, (c) it need to develop water services expertise, (d)The Transitional Local Government process places an enormous challenge on Kei District Council to gear up for its role as developmental local government, and (e) the Water Services Act has introduced new requirement and clarified the water services authority functions that municipalities are required to fulfil.

This study is non-empirical and its design is based on three forms of analysis: conceptualisation, theoretical justification and strategic considerations for a participatory model in the water services sector in South Africa. In terms of the conceptualisation, the study addresses the old and new paradigms of sustainable development. First, it argues that for many years the concept of sustainable development has long dominated the development discourse. Second, the theoretical justification traces the evolution and meanings of sustainable development and also patterns and trends of the legacies of colonialism and apartheid. The descriptive analysis of apartheid and colonialism suggests a new development path for inclusive people-centred development. The study therefore postulates that in the South African context, sustainable development is both a political and a historical construct. This is the basis within which sustainable development should be understood. Third, the study concludes that context plays an important part in understanding and challenging the immoral and unjust practices of colonialism and apartheid which have militated against sustainable human development. The study further provides a description of the local government and water sectors and their underpinned legislative and policy framework, and notes impressive results in the delivery of basic water supply since 1994. However, the study argues that in order for municipalities to fulfil their constitutional responsibilities as water services authorities, they need to adopt a participatory model towards sustainable development since this is currently lacking. In doing so, the water services sector needs to overcome dangers of parochialism which were more evident from the supply-driven policy of the government. The study therefore draws lessons from three Latin American countries: Chile, Bolivia and Nicaragua, and proposes a new developmental path which conforms to the principles of sustainability. This development path is represented in the form of a dynamic, diagrammatic model for participatory sustainable development. This model displays successive stages and cycles of transaction between stakeholders. The model represents a decision support system which provides a conceptual framework for the diagnosis, consolidation and analysis of information. The model is thus a useful tool which can be applied in the public sector during project or programme implementation. / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)

The aim of the study is to design a needs assessment data collection instrument; administer it to a representative sample of employees in the department; and to analyze the findings in order to make recommendations regarding the design of an Employee Assistance Programme (EAP) for the Department of Water Affairs and Forestry (DWAF) in the Northern Province. The literature review concentrates on the design and application of needs assessments for EAPs. A data collection instrument, the SAGENA was designed, piloted and then trans,ated into the major languages spoken by DWAF employees in the region, and content is given. Out of the total population of 7,381 employees, a stratified, random sample of DWAF employees was selected for the study. A total of 550 employees completed the questionnaire, which represented a 7,45% sample with a 93% response rate. The findings showed that 97% of employees felt that an EAP would have a positive impact on their well-being and work performance. The majority said they would use counselling for themselves (71%) as well as for referring colleagues and subordinates (67%). The most prevalent problems (financial problems, retrenchment, retiring and HIV fears etc.) and least prevalent problems of employees are reported in the study as well as employees' preferences for various forms of EAP services. Finally recommendations are made regarding the design of an EAP for DWAF: Northern Province. / Social Work / M.A.(Socal Science)

This study is non-empirical and its design is based on three forms of analysis: conceptualisation, theoretical justification and strategic considerations for a participatory model in the water services sector in South Africa. In terms of the conceptualisation, the study addresses the old and new paradigms of sustainable development. First, it argues that for many years the concept of sustainable development has long dominated the development discourse. Second, the theoretical justification traces the evolution and meanings of sustainable development and also patterns and trends of the legacies of colonialism and apartheid. The descriptive analysis of apartheid and colonialism suggests a new development path for inclusive people-centred development. The study therefore postulates that in the South African context, sustainable development is both a political and a historical construct. This is the basis within which sustainable development should be understood. Third, the study concludes that context plays an important part in understanding and challenging the immoral and unjust practices of colonialism and apartheid which have militated against sustainable human development. The study further provides a description of the local government and water sectors and their underpinned legislative and policy framework, and notes impressive results in the delivery of basic water supply since 1994. However, the study argues that in order for municipalities to fulfil their constitutional responsibilities as water services authorities, they need to adopt a participatory model towards sustainable development since this is currently lacking. In doing so, the water services sector needs to overcome dangers of parochialism which were more evident from the supply-driven policy of the government. The study therefore draws lessons from three Latin American countries: Chile, Bolivia and Nicaragua, and proposes a new developmental path which conforms to the principles of sustainability. This development path is represented in the form of a dynamic, diagrammatic model for participatory sustainable development. This model displays successive stages and cycles of transaction between stakeholders. The model represents a decision support system which provides a conceptual framework for the diagnosis, consolidation and analysis of information. The model is thus a useful tool which can be applied in the public sector during project or programme implementation. / Development Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Development Studies)